MELBOURNE, Australia — The crowd expressed their displeasure as Novak Djokovic departed Rod Laver Arena following his withdrawal just one set into his Australian Open semifinal against Alexander Zverev on Friday. Djokovic, grappling with what he described as a torn muscle, lost the first set 7-6 (5) after putting a forehand volley into the net. He shook his head in frustration and promptly told Zverev the match was over before gathering his belongings and leaving the court, briefly stopping to acknowledge the spectators with two thumbs up in response to the boos.
In his post-match press conference, Djokovic mentioned that the discomfort in his injured left leg was “getting worse and worse,” a result of an injury sustained during his quarterfinal win over Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday night. “I knew,” Djokovic shared, “even if I won the first set, it was going to be a huge uphill battle for me.” The 37-year-old was aiming for his 11th Australian Open championship and a record 25th Grand Slam title, but instead, the final will see No. 1 seed and defending champion Jannik Sinner face off against No. 2 Alexander Zverev.
Sinner advanced to the finals after overcoming some third-set cramping to defeat No. 21 Ben Shelton from the United States with a score of 7-6 (2), 6-2, 6-2. This final marks Sinner’s return to the Australian Open as he pursues his third Grand Slam title. Alex Zverev, at 27, has previously reached two major finals but has yet to claim a title. “Everything can happen,” Sinner reflected, highlighting Zverev’s prowess as a player and his current 20-match unbeaten streak.
Djokovic’s exit marks the second time in four major tournaments that he was unable to compete due to injury; previously, he withdrew from last year’s French Open due to a torn meniscus in his right knee. Following his surgery in Paris, he quickly returned to form by reaching the Wimbledon final and later securing a gold medal for Serbia at the Paris Olympics. Zverev acknowledged his past final defeats at the 2020 U.S. Open and the 2024 French Open, stating, “My goal is still to compete with the big guys and try to win these tournaments.”
Zverev also urged the crowd to show compassion toward Djokovic during an on-court interview, emphasizing the enormity of Djokovic’s contributions to tennis over the last two decades. “I know that everybody paid for tickets and wants to see a great five-set match. But you’ve got to understand — Novak Djokovic is somebody that has given this sport absolutely everything.”
The solitary set that Djokovic managed against Zverev lasted 1 hour and 21 minutes and featured lengthy rallies, including 19 points that stretched nine strokes or more. The first four games alone took 31 minutes due to both the intense baseline exchanges and Djokovic’s careful management of time between points. Unfortunately, his leg issues were compounded by the physical demands of the match, which emerged as problematic during his previous encounter with Alcaraz.
Djokovic remarked he postponed hitting practice until an hour before facing Zverev, saying, “I did everything I possibly can to manage the muscle tear that I had.” He noted that medication, taping, and physiotherapy provided some relief, but the pain escalated towards the end of the first set, ultimately leading him to concede defeat. Zverev claimed he noticed Djokovic’s struggles, which hinted at a decline in his performance during the tiebreaker.
In the previous year at Melbourne Park, Djokovic faced a similar situation with a hamstring injury yet managed to win the tournament. However, he could not recreate that resilience this time. After the match, Djokovic pondered the uncertainty of his future appearances at Melbourne Park, suggesting, “There is a chance. Who knows? I’ll have to see how the season goes. I want to keep going.”
He remains uncertain about the duration of his recovery process and the future of his coaching relationship with former rival Andy Murray. However, Djokovic assured fans that his ambitions remain unchanged. “It’s not like I’m worrying before every Grand Slam whether I’m going to get injured or not. I’ll keep striving to win more Slams. And as long as I feel that I want to put up with all of this, I’ll be around.”
